Google Vice President Andrew W. Moore has been selected as the new dean of the renowned School of Computer Science (SCS) at Carnegie Mellon University, effective August 2014.

Moore, a distinguished computer scientist with expertise in machine learning and robotics, served as a professor of computer science and robotics at Carnegie Mellon before being named founding director of Google’s Pittsburgh engineering office in 2006.

Moore said, “Ever since college I have been inspired by the world-changing ideas and technologies that come out of CMU. I’m privileged to return to the School of Computer Science in this new role.”

Eric Schmidt, executive chairman of Google Inc., a former member of the CMU Board of Trustees and the keynote speaker at CMU President Subra Suresh’s inauguration, noted: “Andrew Moore has been a respected contributor to Google and the Pittsburgh community since he helped start the office there in 2006.” “Some of Google’s strongest talent has come out of CMU, and we look forward to continuing our relationship with the university. I know Andrew will help inspire the next generation of innovators,”

Moore will take office as the fifth dean succeeding Randal E. Bryant, who visited the Qatar campus in 2012 as a speaker in the A. Nico Habermann Distinguished Lecture Series in Computer Science. The series enables students at the Qatar campus to engage with prominent faculty and well-known leaders in the field of computer science.

As one of five programs offered at Carnegie Mellon Qatar, the Computer Science program has grown significantly since its inception in 2004. Graduates move on to work in emerging fields including language technology, computational biology, human-computer interaction and robotics for organizations such as Google, Microsoft, Ooredoo, Qatar Computing Research Institute, Qatar National Research Fund, Qatar Petroleum, and Shell Qatar.

Ilker Baybars, dean of Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar, said, “A hallmark of Carnegie Mellon’s School of Computer Science is the exceptional relationship its faculty and researchers have built with industry, which catalyzes the development of new technologies from concept to reality. As a former Google vice president, Andrew Moore will strengthen those ties, affording tremendous opportunities for computer science students in Doha as well as Pittsburgh. We look forward to welcoming Dr. Moore to the Qatar campus soon.”

Moore’s appointment adds further momentum to Carnegie Mellon President Subra Suresh’s initiatives aimed at enhancing CMU’s world-renowned research, its innovative and entrepreneurial culture, and expanding interactions with industry and government.

“Andrew Moore combines an expansive vision, scientific expertise and leadership strength that make him extraordinarily well-suited to be dean of the School of Computer Science,” Suresh said. “As computing grows ever more critical to our global society, the scope of SCS and its importance to the world will continue to expand, and its impact on the human condition will be more evident. Andrew is particularly well positioned to lead the School at this time,” Suresh added.

Moore’s research ranges from improving manufacturing methods and finding distant asteroids in space to early detection of bioterrorism using data on over-the-counter medication purchases. His past research has also included improving the ability of robots and other automated systems to sense the world around them and respond appropriately.

Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, SCS’s graduate program has been consistently ranked by U.S. News and World Report as No. 1, and the undergraduate degree program is widely regarded as the best computer science program in the world.

CMU scholars Alan Perlis, Allen Newell and Nobel Prize winner Herbert Simon were among the founding fathers of the discipline of computer science. Moreover, CMU is home to 12 winners of the Turing Award, the highest honor in computer science research.